Dave, Thanks for your clarification. I didn't realise that Gobuntu encouraged the use of other non-free software, although I did download it and it seemed to be just another standard Ubuntu image.
I shall continue to try to lead on the gNS package freedom stuff, and keep an eye on the gobuntu development. Cheers, Chris. On 26/07/07, Dave Crossland <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
On 26/07/07, Chris Andrew <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > To clarify my concerns; I am a little worried that the two distros have > similar (if not the same (perhaps any diff could be clarified)) aims. There was a thread about this on the gobuntu list: https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/gobuntu-devel/2007-July/000035.html > From a personal perspective, I need to know what the difference between the > two objectives is, so that I and others can make a concerted effort on > whatever distro is closest to a personal preference. All in my opinion, could very well be wrong, but hope to help: Gobuntu will be used as a 'stooge' distro - http://geekz.co.uk/lovesraymond/archive/taking-freedom-further - so Canonical can put more proprietary stuff in the main Ubuntu while providing an up-to-date and fully-free distro for those who want it and who look to them for guidance, and Canonical can point at Gobuntu to appease critics who value freedom above convenience, Recommending Gobuntu to people is questionable, since it recommends main Ubuntu and Canonical implicitly. This is partly why the FSF declined the name "Gnubuntu." Also, the FSF/GNU Project does not do its own distribution because all GNU/Linux distributions are GNU (plus Linux) and if there was "_a_ GNU distro" that might work against the promotion of that fact; we can imagine "Oh no, this distro is Linux, not GNU, because GNU is $fsf-or-gnu-distro" type comments... and the GNUbuntu name would contribute to that. So, independent of the FSF and GNU Project but with the help of the FSF (server & hosting to make it possible) the gNewSense distribution take a popular distro and makes it fully free, without directly endorsing or referencing the upstream disto. Therefore it is possible to recommend gNewSense to new users, safe in the knowledge that it will not recommend to them to install proprietary software or promote the idea that proprietary software is okay. gNewSense could be built off a more user-friendly distribution in the future - Novell seems to be putting at least as much effort into the desktop as Canonical, and Red Hat are keeping up with the new competition too. If Fedora is listed on the GNU project's recommended distros list - very possible, given http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/FreeSoftwareAnalysis/FSF - this seems quite possible. Until then, to contribute to the development of gNewSense in the short term, help with the package checking, and long term, contribute to Gobuntu and help with the gNewSense artwork when its asked for by the project leads. I installed Gobuntu this week, and it appears to use the regular gusty apt repo, so as soon as you upgrade, the gobuntu stuff evaporates... Hmm... -- Regards, Dave
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